What to do in Bohol, where to stay and where to eat
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I want to share the best things to do in Bohol, the epic Philippines island near the East coast of Cebu. Bohol quickly becomes a top tourist place to visit in the Philippines. I could not believe how developed it was when I arrived at this mega island. Although it is developing fast, it still has a lot of natural beauty and there are still many top things to do and see on the island of Bohol. Furthermore, restaurants and accommodation in Bohol are cheap and you can get a lot for a few dollars in your pocket. The epic Bohol island is a great place to visit after Cebu or maybe before making your way on the ferry from Bohol to Cebu.
There is plenty of cool best things to do in Bohol and there is something for everybody on this top island to visit in the Philippines. There is plenty of great tourist spots in Bohol, for example, the stunning Chocolate hills (I will get into this soon). We spent 3 days exploring the island on a motorbike and made sure we visited all the top things to see in Bohol, my favourite is actually the _ Also, there is plenty of places to stay in Bohol, we opted for cheaper hotel-style accommodation. However, there is plenty of luxury hotels on Bohol and backpacker hostels. The island is perfect for all budgets.
In this post on the best things to do in Bohol, I am going to share with you everything I learned from exploring this amazing island in the Philippines. The is a perfect itinerary for Bohol to make the most out of your visit, including the best of Bohol’s tourist spots. Also included;
- Best things to do in Bohol
- How to get from Cebu or Manilla to Bohol
- Best accommodation in Bohol
- Best restaurant in Bohol
The Best things to do in Bohol the Philippines
#1 Chocolate hills | entrance ticket 50 pesos per person
The Bohol chocolate hills are the most impressive things to see in Bohol and are the number one tourist spot. On the chocolate hills viewpoint, you can see for miles the amazing hill mounds that stand out like sore thumbs. They were strangely formed by coral reef, yes coral reef. Bohol used to be underwater and looked completely different to what it does now a days. I was completely impressed to the hill formations of the hills, it is a pretty crazy things to see in Bohol.
Why are they called this and how to get to there?
The colour of the chocolate hills changes with the season. They’re either green lumps in the land or the famous chocolate colour. Cool right?! There is one main viewpoint for you to see these epic hills. Furthermore, the best way to get to the chocolate hills is by renting a scooter in Bohol. It took us roughly 1 hour from tagbilaran island to the chocolate hills. We did speak to a couple of backpackers that had paid for a tuk tuk to take them there. personally I would recommend getting a scooter, then you can make your way to all the best things to do in Bohol and it’s the cheapest way.
#2 The waterfalls in Bohol | entrance tickets cost is 20 PHP per person
The waterfalls are a sweet place to have a swim and cool down from the hot Bohol weather. The falls are easy access on a scooter and it’s very cheap to enter. You can spend an hour here just chilling out and relaxing in the formed pool in front of the falls. However, I wouldn’t plan on spending too long here, it’s not that exhilarating. The falls are a good thing to see near the chocolate hills in Bohol as it’s on the same route. We stopped here on the way to the Bohol’s Tarsier sanctuary. In addition, there is also a couple of stalls selling snacks, drinks and eggs. So you will be okay if you’re looking for a quick bite to eat and a drink.
#3 Island shopping mall in Bohol | entrance is free
This is the best shopping place in Bohol and it’s the best shopping mall I’ve seen in Asia. Apart from Singapore’s epic shopping mall. Anyway, the island shopping mall in Bohol is a great way to grab travel essentials, clothes or maybe just go for some food and the sweet air-con. On the three floors. You can find all sorts of shops here and some very cheap prices. You can buy a t-shirt here for $2 and there is also an epic food market inside. At the island shopping mall, we ended buying an action camera, chocolate, shampoo and toothpaste. All very cheap. There is also plenty of free parking outside the shopping mall.
#4 Loboc river cruise | ticket cost is 550 pessos per person
This was actually a random activity we did, but its earned its place on the best things to do in Bohol. We was passing and decided to jump on this sweet Loboc river cruise. The Loboc River Dinner Cruise starts by the Loay Bridge where you can choose from a variety of river cruising vessels. The Loboc River cruise usually runs for an hour or so back and forth. You will hop aboard a floating restaurant and dine on a buffet lunch, whilst taking in the scenery. I thought it was like floating down the Amazon river. The food on the Loboc river cruise is good and you should get;
- Chicken
- Pork stew
- Chicken curry
- Prawns and vegetables
- Rice
- Egg chips (first time for me)
- Cakes and Fruit
- Water and Juice
- There is the option to pay extra for beer and fizzy pop
You will also have a singer on the cruise. The singer will play whilst you sail up and down the river, it’s quite a cool thing to be fair, our singer was great. Also, you ferry will pull up alongside a floating stage while a group of dancers performs for a few minutes. Then, you will carry on your little adventure down the river.
#5 Bohol’s cool Tarsier sanctuary | entrance ticket cost is 60 pesso per person
The tarsier are the coolest animals to see in Bohol. You can visit these little animals by taking a ten minute guided tour around the tarsier sanctuary. The Tarsier guide speaks good English, along with a lot of information about these funny-looking animals. Furthermore, there is only 4 tarsiers at the sanctuary and you will get to see each one. A little fun fact – The tarsiers don’t move all day long as they are very territorial. They are lone animals, which means they will just stay on their own on their chosen protected branch. They’re hilarious and they are only the size of your hand. I would visit the tarsier sanctuary on the same day you visit the chocolate hills and Loboc river cruise.
You won’t need to spend long at Bohol’s tarsier sanctuary. A 30-minute stop off here is plenty, this is literally a quick stop off point on the scooter. Nevertheless, it’s still a great place to visit and one of the best things to do in Bohol.
Need some backpacking list ideas? Check out backpacking essential item list for Asia
#6 Cliff diving at Molave Cove | entrance ticket cost is 50 pesso per person
This is definitely the most adventurous thing to do in Bohol. A 22-foot jump from a cliff plank into the sea. Crazy, but exciting! The Molave Cove cliff dive is a great place to visit and chill out for a few hours, as it’s perfect for snorkelling, relaxing in cliff side huts and doing the adrenaline pumping Molave Cove dive. The dive at Molave Cove is epic and a few of the visitors backed out, but its not all that bad once you’ve done it once. I managed to dive at Molave cove three times and then a storm came.
The Molave Cove is probably the best place to snorkel on Bohol, there is thousands of sardines and other cool fish. Also, there is a lifeguard there making sure everything is sweet with everybody and no one is going to get hurt. He was actually a top guy and had some banter about him. Things to take for diving and snorkelling at Molave Cove;
- Swim shorts or Bikini
- Wet shoes
- Towell
- Drinks and snacks
- Snorkel
- Motivation to do the jump
#7 Sunset at Alona beach
Alona beach is probably the best beach on Bohol. It’s white sands and palm trees is a great place to just kick back and enjoy the day. It is also a pretty cool spot for diving, due it’s house of coral reef below the water’s surface. Also, there is plenty of restaurants, bars and cafes to enjoy some food and a few beers. A lively atmosphere and vibe surrounds this epic beach on Bohol, this is the place to be to meet other people.
Where to stay in Bohol?
There is a few mega places to stay in Bohol, the Panglan Green accommodation is a sweet newly developed resort in Bohol. The resort has cool modern rooms, with air-conditioning and private bathroom. Furthermore, there is also a newly built pool. We was actually the first people to get in the pool. The resort also sells food, hires out motorbikes and provides brilliant customer service. We decided to stay here becuase it looked nice, had a pool and was the best accommodation in Bohol for our budget. This is probly the cheapest resort in Bohol with a pool. The owner Irish John was a top guy and catered to all our needs. In additoin, John was nearly finished adding a brand new bar and dinning area to this epic resort. It’s due to finish November 2018.
Accommodation in Bohol can be quite expensive, especially for backpackers. However, the _ resort is suitable for all. There rooms are perfect for backpackers, honeymooners and there is also two large rooms with up to 6 beds for families. Nevertheless, we had a mega 4 night stay here and if I was ever to come back to visit Bohol, then I would definitely be staying at this top resort.
Best Restaurant in Bohol
The number one restaurant in Bohol is the Bohol Bee Farm, a quirky and relaxing place to eat on Pangloa island. The food here is prepared from the manager’s (Vicky) home-grown produce. The food here is mega tasty and the views from the cliff windows overlook the sea, giving you a sweet dining experience. The food here is between 200-300 pessos on average, but the taste says it’s worth a lot more. Also, there is a free started included with this top restaurant in Bohol.
We decided to visit this best place to eat in Bohol on our first night on the island. I had a honey-glazed chicken, rice and vegetables. It was mega tasty, however it is a little more expensive than local cafes on Bohol and it may not be the best place to visit for a backpacker on very low budget. Nevertheless, it’s still an amazing restauruant, with great food and great views. Also, the ice-cream at the Bohol Bee Farm is amazing and that is produced locally.
Summary
Bohol is one of the best islands to visit in the Philippines and one of the places that I will hold close to the heart and can’t wait to go back. If you love sweet culture, amazing sunsets, cheap travel destinations and just generally an epic time. You have to backpack or do a holiday in Bohol!
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